Career and Education Opportunities for Black Top Paver Operators in Thornton, Colorado

There are many career and education opportunities for black top paver operators in the Thornton, Colorado area. Currently, 1,450 people work as black top paver operators in Colorado. This is expected to grow by 31% to about 1,910 people by 2016. This is better than the national trend for black top paver operators, which sees this job pool growing by about 11.5% over the next eight years. In general, black top paver operators operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways, or equipment used for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials.

A person working as a black top paver operator can expect to earn about $18 hourly or $38,460 per year on average in Colorado and about $16 per hour or $33,270 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Black top paver operators earn less than people working in the category of Paving generally in Colorado and less than people in the Paving category nationally.

There are fifty-nine schools of higher education in the Thornton area, including one within twenty-five miles of Thornton where you can get a degree to start your career as a black top paver operator. The most common level of education for black top paver operators is a high school diploma or GED. It will take only a short time to learn to be a black top paver operator if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Black Top Paver Operator

Black Top Paver Operator video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, black top paver operators operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways, or equipment used for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. They also includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators.

Every day, black top paver operators are expected to be able to coordinate both hands in a single activity. They need to evaluate problems as they arise. It is also important that they maintain precise control of objects and devices through a range of movements.

It is important for black top paver operators to shovel blacktop. They are often called upon to drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites. They also direct truck dumping. They are sometimes expected to operate tamping machines or manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills and finished road materials, in line with grade specifications. Somewhat less frequently, black top paver operators are also expected to inspect and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.

Black top paver operators sometimes are asked to set up dies and extensions to screeds onto machines, using hand tools. They also have to be able to position strips of material such as cork or steel into joints, or position rolls of expansion-joint material on machines that automatically insert material And finally, they sometimes have to operate machines that clean or trim expansion joints in concrete or asphalt and that rout out cracks in pavement.

Like many other jobs, black top paver operators must believe in cooperation and coordination and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Thornton include:

Core Drill Operator. Operate a variety of drills--such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic--to tap sub-surface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. May use explosives. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.

Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Company Miner. Operate machinery--such as longwall shears, plows, and cutting machines--to cut or channel along the face or seams of coal mines, stone quarries, or other mining surfaces to facilitate blasting, separating, or removing minerals or materials from mines or from the earth's surface.

Track Layer. Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and road bed tamping machine operators.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Black Top Paver Operator Training

Emily Griffith Opportunity School - Denver, CO

Emily Griffith Opportunity School, 1250 Welton Street, Denver, CO 80204-2197. Emily Griffith Opportunity School is a small school located in Denver, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily less-than 2-year programs and has 2,148 students. Emily Griffith Opportunity School has a less than one year program in Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certification in Construction Materials - Asphalt:
This certification program was designed for field and laboratory technicians engaged specifically in the testing and inspection of construction materials.

Highway Materials:
This certification program is for highway engineering technicians involved in laboratory and field testing of highway materials such as aggregates, asphalts, concrete, soils, paints, and metals.

Highway System Maintenance and Preservation:
This certification is designed for engineering technicians who perform and inspect highway system maintenance and preservation work; the program is applicable to both private and public sector technicians.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Thornton, Colorado

Thornton, Colorado photo by bonjourpeewee

Thornton is located in Adams County, Colorado. It has a population of over 113,429, which has grown by 37.7% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Thornton, 94, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Thornton are priced at $176,300 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, two hundred ninety-five new homes were constructed in Thornton, down from four hundred eighty-four the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Thornton are educational services, health care, and finance and insurance. For men, it is construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, and administrative and support and waste management services. The average commute to work is about 29 minutes. More than 19.9% of Thornton residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 4.8%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Thornton is 6.3%, which is less than Colorado's average of 6.6%.

The percentage of Thornton residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 30.4%, is less than both the national and state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Lutheran Church.